Confirmed: Lizzie Binder Will Be on ‘Top Chef’

There was that whisper last month when chef Lizzie Binder disappeared for a twelve-week hiatus from Bar Bambino. Well, now Bravo has confirmed that she’s among the cast of the upcoming Top Chef: Seattle, which premieres November 7. (Binder has also confirmed with Grub Street that she is no longer working for Bar Bambino and won’t return, as previously reported.) Binder’s a talented chef who did wonders with the restaurant’s 2011 switch to a more northeastern Italian, Austro-Hungarian focus, and we look forward to seeing what the added publicity will do for her career.* And we look forward to hearing everyone on the show delight over her South African accent. The show is still shooting, and Binder is the sole cheftestant representing the Bay Area this season. Sidenote: Occasional judge Wolfgang Puck has been added as a full-time judge, so that should be fun. [E! Online]

*This posted has been corrected to show that Ms. Binder is no longer in the employ of Bar Bambino.